Corban Theatre raises more than $5,000 for Shared Hope International

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

It took months of preparation and eight performances, but Corban University’s theater students were able to raise more than $5,000 for Shared Hope International.

In September, Theater Director Tamara McGinnis decided to use “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” as a way to raise money for the Vancouver, Wash. based non-profit. Shared Hope employees and volunteers use donations to help women and children recover from lives of prostitution and human trafficking. Her efforts led to the creation of the Cinderella Campaign. It is designed to encourage any other groups performing the popular musical to donate part of their proceeds to any non-profit dedicated to eradicating human trafficking.

While she knew Cinderella was popular, she never anticipated how much the show would earn.

It’s about twice what I expected,” McGinnis said. “We’ve sold out on a single night before, but we have never sold out an entire run.” Twenty percent of the profits were set aside for Shared Hope. She attributed the show’s success to four factors.

“It was a family friendly show…musicals are hot…and Disney inspired productions draw crowds,” she said. “I also put a lot of prayer into this show and for Shared Hope International.”

Currently more than 50 people and organizations from across the country have pledged to support the Cinderella Campaign within their own networks of friends and colleagues. McGinnis said another theater director from southern Oregon already approached her about using her own Cinderella performance to raise funds to eliminate human trafficking. Additionally, she said Corban sophomore Kirstie Walrath is planning to direct Cinderella in her own community of Bonney Lake, Wash. and donate the proceeds.

“To me, this is what the show was all about,” McGinnis said. “I feel like we are on our way to making the Cinderella Campaign a reality.”